Bonkers way of doing business

Another half hour talking to someone at BT's Indian call centre who doesn't really understand what I am saying, however I phrase it. My blood pressure is rising !

My phone/broadband bill is £329 in credit, probably enough to cover me next two bills in October and January. I have one message on My BT saying that because I am so much in credit my monthly direct debit has been reduced to £38.50 and the next payment will be on November 1.

Today, another message has appeared saying that "because I am using more" (of what?) and to help me clear my bill, my payments will now be £72.50 a month from October 1. I politely explain to the lady in India that I don't need to clear my bill because I am already £329 in credit and if £72.50 a month is taken from October 1 I will be even more in credit.

She doesn't understand.

I finally extract from her the information that my "increased usage" is down to BT raising its charges from December and the relevant quarter has already started. When anything changes, she says, monthly direct debits are re-calcuated automatically without taking into account any money in credit ( This is my precis of a tortuous conversation which seemed to go on for ever).

This is plainly a bonkers way of doing business, because I would simply end up paying money I don't need to and be even more in credit. Or maybe this is how BT builds up its cash reserves.

I insist that my next direct debit should go out on November 1, not October 1 and I am pretty sure I will still be substantially in credit.

She finally says that I won't need to pay anything at all until all my £329 credit has been used up.

As I am sure she didn't really have the faintest idea what I was talking about, or the points I was trying to make, I am ready for anything to happen. Where's my blood pressure tablets?

Re: Bonkers way of doing business

Hi, I presume you are using the MPP (monthly payment plan). It should now be scrapped as it is now outdated. I would suggest you move to the monthly whole bill direct debit. Each month you pay fir next months broadband, TV and phone and pay for any last months additional charges, phone tv etc. much more simple and controllable.

Re: Bonkers way of doing business

Stew's advice is spot on - the MPP is redundant, not understood by helpdesk staff, unreliable, in short a complete PITA. Whole bill payment has a couple of downsides in that one-off charges have to be paid in full with the next bill and the direct debit date (8 days after the bill) can't be changed, but it's still by far the better choice.

Anyway, the reason for this post is to advise you to leave the credit balance if you switch, as trying to get it refunded is likely to bolster your hypertension. The balance would be accounted for in subsequent monthly bills, which would be for £0 until the balance is used up. (After much grief with the MPP, I switched with a credit amounting to just over a quarter's charges; my next 3 bills were zero and the fourth reduced by the remaining credit. Since the switch billing has been completely accurate despite a number of service changes.)

--You can click the thumbs up icon below this message if you think it was helpful.